Haxan Films Returns to Blair Witch Roots with Lovely Molly

Haxan Films, the creators of cult classic phenomenon The Blair Witch Project, are returning to their found footage roots with the promotional campaign for the limited release of their newest film, Lovely Molly. Like its famous predecessor, the film’s website asks visitors to question whether the events of the movie were truly fictional. A cryptic disc covered with Satanic imagery and puzzles may hold additional clues to the events captured on film.

It’s been over 13 years since Haxan Films screened its debut film The Blair Witch Project at Sundance. And while the “found footage” format used in the film quickly established its place as a cult classic, the film’s innovative viral marketing campaign that created extensive artifacts insisting on the film’s reality fueled the movie’s rabid fanbase to take over Sundance with sold out screenings. Last year, Haxan Films returned to its found footage roots with his film Lovely Molly, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. And if the package I received in the mail earlier today is any indication, the found footage aesthetic won’t be Lovely Molly‘s only common ground with The Blair Witch Project.

The package I received contained dozens of photographs depicting four riders sitting astride horses with blotted out heads, and a large carved disc. The disc prominently displays the film’s insignia, a dagger with twin horse head quillons surrounded by symbols that resemble everything from cuneiform glyphs and Norse runes to the more modern Braille cells. On the back of the disc, a link pointed to a personalized invitation to ARGNet, stating that “Lovely Molly invites you to descend into depravity. Rewards like this await the first five. Simple symbols await a score.”

Image: Michael Andersen

This message indicates that the next step can likely be found at the page LovelyMolly.com/Descent.htm, which features a carbon copy of the disc I received in the mail. The surrounding bricks are linked to a series of documentary films about Molly Reynolds’ backstory, although currently the only video that’s live is “Path to Madness Part One.” Clicking on the disc, which is somehow linked to the demon Orobas, brings up a high resolution image of the item with links to a submission form over each of the five engraved puzzles.

Where do the mysterious messages hidden in the disc lead? What secrets lie behind Molly Reynolds’ descent into depravity? And exactly what does Haxan Films mean by “Rewards like this await the first five” and “[s]imple symbols await a score”? While some of these questions may be answered with the film’s limited release on May 18th, it’s likely that some will require additional investigating, so begin your descent at LovelyMolly.com/Descent.htm, and see how far down the path of depravity you’ll go.